“Don’t even think about trying to decline these sun-kissed snacks; if generations of Jamaican schoolchildren have been unable to resist their brilliant, time-honoured recipe, then you have no chance. The drops are actually clusters, chewy and glorious and not too sweet. This is not your mother’s coconut — a fresh nut is opened for each batch, plus added all-natural ginger and sugar. From Brampton straight to your pleasure centres.”

SHELF LIFE

“Funny how quickly resistance becomes futile. Recently, Shelf Life discovered that our favourite made-in-Canada treats, Tropix Original Coconut Drops, are now available in two extra flavours: Cranberry and Apricot (not forgetting the wonderful Ginger flavour, hitherto our other addiction). This development prompted a millisecond of deliberation, followed by a full blown Add To Cart episode. The results were delicious – we’re pleased to report that the added varieties of fresh-coconut-with-brown-sugar-and-a-touch-of-salt morsels are just as sensational as Coconut Drops and Ginger Coconut Drops 1.0. These little nuggets really do taste like sunshine, which is no small boon for icebound Canadians everywhere. The story begins in Jamaica, where young student Denise Edwards looked forward to buying fresh, sweet coconut clusters from the vendors outside the school gates. Years later, new Ontario resident Edwards perfected her own classic coconut drop recipe. After trying them out at potlucks and parties, the sweets became a business, and Edwards acquired a coconut slicer to keep up with demand. The snacks – they’re a sort of crunchy chew – contain just a few all-natural ingredients, and each hand-made batch is made from a freshly cracked open coconut. Shelf Life is taken by their honest-to-goodness wholesomeness, and we love the fact that the new flavours keep on keeping it real (especially the apricot, in our opinion). Cheese platters of Canada, your new crush awaits you. Note to Galen Weston: try them, you’ll like them! And then please stock them in Loblaws stores.”

THE NEXT GREAT FOOD PRODUCT

CONTEST FINALIST

Tropix Coconut Drops was chosen as one of five finalists in The Next Great Food Product Contest 2012! The contest, sponsored by Enterprise Toronto/City of Toronto, was open to new commercial food or non-alcoholic beverage companies. The event was held on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

As one of the lucky finalists, Tropix Coconut Drops had the opportunity to present their products at the Small Business Forum.

The selection committee, comprised of a panel of food industry experts, included three of the Greater Toronto Area’s top “foodies”: Celebrity Chef, Christine Cushing; Pusateri’s Fine Foods Manager, John Mastroianni; and Dufflet Rosenberg, CEO, Dufflet Pastries.

It was an exciting day and although Tropix Coconut Drops was not the winner, they are thrilled to have been among the finalists in a large field of food and beverage offerings. “We received excellent feedback from the panel and came away from the event energized for our next challenge!”